The GumdropButton Blog

My friends and I have been doing a seasonal scavenger hunt via Facebook for the past three years. It is a fun way to get out and explore our world, as well as taking notice of the small things in our lives. We also learn a little more about each other every year and it forces those who live away from us to stay in touch in a small way :)

​We've created a secret Facebook group, ​and have a few "rules" ......."The basics are you take pictures of your summer and share them here! It is a closed group, so only members can see the photos. You can invite your friends to play along too - just remember not to share or save pictures without permission." That is it! We're pretty flexible in the interpretation of the items needing to be found - the idea is to have fun after all!

Here is our list this year for inspiration in creating your own! ​Or feel free just to "steal" it - I don't mind :)

Summer 2019 List1. Last Day of school picture2. Running through a sprinkler3. Reading a book (or 2 or 3)4. Having a picnic5. Blowing bubbles6. Eating Watermelon7. Playing in the Rain8. Laundry on the line9. Roasting Marshmallows10. Lightning 11. Colouring with sidewalk chalk12. On a nature walk13. At a festival/fair14. Visiting a water park15. Eating ice cream16. At the beach17. At the park18. muddy child19. giant leaf 20. Orange flower21. Making a favourite summer treat(something you don't eat during the school year/not a popsicle)22. Playing on a slip and slide23. Face paint24. Family game night25. Bowling26. Construction Zone27. Learning something new28. Going for a bike ride29. Dirty Feet30. big rock31. waterfall32. Rainy day activity 33. An insect34. Swimming in the lake or river35. wild animal36. Something old 37. statue38. rest stop 39. sleeping child40. Something pink41. Something blue42. Flip flops43. summer storm44. Mowing the lawn45. Riding a bike46. Having a water fight47. Writing a pen pal48. Playing mini golf49. Eating cotton candy50. Something new51. Picking berries52. A fish 53. Going kayaking/canoeing/boating54. Canada Day celebrations55. Something yellow56. Something orange57. Drinking a slurpee/iced coffee58. A sunflower 59. butterfly60. rainbow61. parade62. A boardwalk63. homemade popsicle 64. Playing hopscotch 65. Jumping rope66. ladybug67. Sparklers 68. At the farmer's market 69. train70. license plate from far away71. Visiting some place you've never been before72. mountain73. painted rock74. bag of trash (aka clean up your neighbourhood/favourite trail)75. Something purple76. wet bathing suit77. Sunglasses78. geocache79. Someone being silly80. pine cone81. Something cooked on the bbq82. Something interesting you see on a walk/hike 83. Wild mushrooms/fungus84. A bridge 85. Yellow flowers86. Sunrise/Sunset87. Playing in the pool88. Lemonade89. A family selfie90. Something fuzzy91. Something crafty92. A feather93. Souvenir 94. A starry night95. Something that floats96. Airplane/Helicopter97. Sunscreen/Bug Protection98. A picture of whoever normally takes pictures(and thus is never in the pictures) enjoying a family activity99. Something cool not on this list100. New school supplies

Who will get all 100?

Have an amazing summer!!

Summer Slide is a phrase that describes the slide backwards that children make in reading and math skills over the summer. Basically, it is the old adage, "use it or lose it!"Statistics vary as to how much knowledge is lost over the summer, but there are many ways to support our kids in our daily lives!

Here are 5 things that I do with my kids over the summer:1. READ, and read some more! Read out loud to them, have them read to you. Kids emulate what they see, so let them see you reading. Read signs at the store, on the road, wherever you go! Make sure you stop by the store and pick up your free Gingy bookmark.

2. Play Games - so many games promote strategic thinking, math & reading skills and even social skills. This summer, I am introducing Yahtzee and a travel game that we just got in store called Words. Some other favourites are Bananagrams, Mexican Train (Dominoes) and Scrabble!

3. Explore outdoors! Take a net to the lake, what creatures can you find? Look up plants with an app or go geocaching (a family favourite of ours) - so much learning and relaxation occurs in our woods, plus the fresh air and exercise are an awesome bonus.

4. Bake or cook - What a great life skill to learn! Reading, following directions, motor skills and math are just a few of the things that can be incorporated into an everyday need. One thing that I do is take away a measuring cup, and ask my kids how we can measure out the ingredients with the measuring cups that are left (fractions!) For example, if we need a cup of sugar, I'll take away that cup and have them figure out that they need 3 x 1/3 Cups or 2 x 1/2 Cups.

5. Traditional workbooks, flash cards, online programs and apps are another way to mix it up and keep it interesting! My kids love the Hot Dots we have at the store (and we have lots of options coming soon!) - they are a neat alternative to the traditional flash card.

So many opportunities arise for added learning, we can help you find the games, tools, workbooks and story books to make this summer fun! If you have a favourite way to add learning to your everyday, share with us in the comments :)